Thursday, July 16, 2009

when it rains, it pours

It has been raining all day. Most days the clouds just sit and threaten rain, but never make good on their threat.

I've been going up to the language school that might offer me a job every day this week except yesterday. The job they want to offer me is a Native English Teacher, which means that I would be in charge of classes all by my lonesome. Zack works as an Assistant Language Teacher, which is really sweet because he just has to go along with what the main teacher asks him to do. That is the job that I really want.

I thought this week was training and orientation, but for the most part, "training" to them means "let's throw her in a class and see what she does." Only one teacher, a Canadian guy named Patrick, has really helped me out at all. And even though the hours are comparable to a day job, working at night is just somehow more exhausting. I've been getting home at close to 10 each night. And while this part of Japan is overall very safe--school children ride the trains alone--walking around at night unaccompanied is pretty scary.

The job isn't all bad. I would be teaching a variety of ages, from elementary schoolers to adults, and most of the students are really nice. And I'm actually excited about designing my own lesson plans, making handouts about grammar and such. (I'm an English nerd.) Since my only other lead at this time was through a guy in the JET Program who has stopped replying to my emails, I had pretty much accepted that this job is my only key to getting a work visa.

But hooray! Another opportunity came my way this week. I posted a classified in Ohayo Sensei, an online newsletter for teaching English in Japan jobs, and a nearby school actually contacted me! I'm going in for an interview next week. The job would be sort of the same as what I've been "training" for this week except I would only be teaching children and working during the day. I'm very happy to have another potential job so that I don't feel so trapped. Please keep your fingers crossed or pray to the deity of your choice that one of these jobs works out (but especially that I get a day job)!

Tomorrow there's a festival right here in Miyada called the "Miyada GION Festival." The main street in town has been decorated with red and white lanterns all week. I'm so excited about witnessing my first Japanese festival!

And in other news, my chopstick skills are getting better every day. Life is good.